District 2 County Commissioner Mike Sparks said he would have liked to call for a county burn ban Monday due to dry foliage and windy conditions, but commissioners had not received a required legal request for one from county fire departments.

Commissioners reported no fire outbreaks during last Friday’s high winds, which caused multiple wildfires statewide, damaging hundreds of homes, burning nearly 200,000 acres, injuring 200 and killing four.

Much of the state, includ- ing Kingfisher County, remained in a red flag warning early in the week due to gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.

“It’s nothing that a twoinch rain wouldn’t fix,” Sparks commented.

Kelly Buck, a citizen visitor to the meeting, observed to the Times and Free Press later that Friday’s high winds might be considered a dry hurricane.

Scott Coppenbarger, representing AirMedCare, a company that provides medical transfer of patients by helicopter, reported that Kingfisher Mercy Hospital was the fourth busiest user of its services in the state.

He proposed a program that would provide emergency patient transfer for county employees at a cost of $75 per year per employee.

As the presentation was not on the agenda, no action was taken.

Commission Chairman Anthony Schwarz, District 3, said the county would confer with its insurance providers regarding possible future action.

Unanimous approval votes were received under the following action items portion of the meeting agenda: • Public access drive to be built by Ranger Ron Construction for BCE/Mach III at a point five miles south and three miles east of Hennessey, requiring an 18-inch by 90-foot culvert, District 2.

• Right-of-way access for Ovintiv Oil for two pipeline road crossings in District 1, one for a 12-inch lay flat line located eight miles east and three miles north of Okarche and another for a 16-inch lay flat line located eight miles east and two miles north of Okarche.

• Right-of-way permits for placing two three-inch steel lines for Oklahoma Gas Co./Glenn Energy Services in District 3 located five miles west, five miles north then farther north one mile, from Kingfisher.

• Disposing of a surplus 2011 executive chair for the court clerk’s office.

• Disposal of a 1997 GMC truck, 2008 Chevrolet pickup truck and a 2020 Armorlite belly dump trailer for District 3.

• Disposing of a 2008 Chevrolet pickup truck and a 2016 Armorlite belly dump trailer for District 1.

All commissioners – Schwarz, District 3; Sparks, District 2, and Jeff Moss, District 1, vice-chairman – were present along with County Clerk Emily Lee as minute clerk, County Engineer Nik Smith, County Emergency Manager Ryan Deatherage, Buck, Coppenbarger and Keb Lehenbauer, Railroad Yard representative.